Reminiscence: Feelings Not Forgotten
by seisuke
Summary: hmmm... not sure if it's angsty or not... the spotlight is on Haru this time. What if in a span of a ‘moment’ between ‘tomorrow’ and ‘today’, this ‘something’ that seemed to just come or occur ‘naturally’ is taken away?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Fruits Basket Characters are not mine. They belong to Takaya-sensei. :) The title, Reminiscence: Feelings Not Forgotten is from the Chrono Cross (the scene where Serge and Lena are at the beach)

**Author's Notes:** There is a bit of a spoiler here, but I need to explain it (really sorry...). Rin is the Horse of the Juunishi. She appears later in the manga, and she's Hatsuharu's girlfriend. Without revealing 'too much', suffice to say she broke up with Haru after she was hospitalized after sustaining serious injuries. That triggered Haru's 'Black' personality (days after the break up), which made him wreck his classroom. --;;

**Setting:** Hatsuharu is in his second year. Flashbacks are in the previous school year.

in italics - Hatsuharu's thoughts

".." - Dialogue

* * *

_There she is. . . reading another book. . _. 

Sohma Hatsuharu kept his dark eyes locked on the girl sitting at the back of the classroom. He continued to watch her eyes dart from one page to another as she read. He wondered what she was reading, because she would sometimes smile and then become serious at certain parts.

_I wonder. . . if it is a love story?_ He thought idly. He chuckled and shook his head. It couldn't be. She doesn't like love stories…

_Maybe it's a mystery novel, then? She has always loved mystery novels. _

She suddenly became partly hidden by a group of girls chatting happily as they moved along the aisle beside her. And if that weren't enough, they even conveniently stopped at the area where she is seated, blocking his view. It took all of his will not to stand up just to look at her.

It's been a while since he had seen her smile like that.

Hatsuharu sighed. Can't those girls move...?

He couldn't even pay any attention to what Momiji was telling him.

One of the girls shifted her position and he finally caught a glimpse of her. He saw, from what little space those girls left him, her eyes lighting up in amusement as she read from a certain page.

Suddenly, as though aware of somebody watching her, the girl looked up at him and met his gaze. For a moment, those were the same eyes that used to look at him before -it- happened.

He was taken aback with surprise by the sudden eye contact. "Ten-" he started.

But as quickly as they had come, those laughing eyes of hers disappeared and were replaced by her now usual eyes, full of overcast hues. This snapped him back to the reality of things, making him feel his loss all over again.

_It's probably because she was just reading something nice that made her look at me again like that._ Hatsuharu thought sadly.

He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he missed how she would look at him before the 'incident'. He spent months trying to forget.

But that gaze...

And her warm smile...

They never left his memory.

Maybe. . . he was also afraid of actually forgetting? If he really wanted to, he could have asked Hatori. But he never did. He simply took comfort in telling himself that they would never see each other anyway, so why bother?

But now, she's here, in this school, in his classroom. He never thought he would see her again. He thought she had gone to a far away place, away from him, away from the curse. What comedy—or tragedy—is Fate cooking up for him now?

Even after she caught him, he couldn't help himself. He saw her eyebrows knit in confusion as he continued to stare at her.

His reputation is already well known, as someone who usually doesn't pay much attention to girls; or to anybody in particular for that matter.

_So you're probably asking yourself, "why am I looking at you?" ...Right?_

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, the girl went back to her reading.

He tried to look away but he might as well ask himself not to breathe. He couldn't tear his eyes off of her. He realized he might have been staring at her for the past weeks since the new school year started... Watching... Observing...

_And she's starting to notice._

One of the girls that were blocking his view again shifted her position and he finally has an acceptable view of the timid girl from where he was sitting. Just then, he saw the girl slowly raise her book, and lean to her left so that she would be hidden by the two other girls. He was so surprised by what she had done that his jaw dropped.

"Haru? Daijoubu?" Momiji called out.

Hatsuharu blinked, and turned to Momiji. He realized that he was half-risen in his seat. His cousin looked at him, curiosity winning over his usual cheerful face.

He quickly changed his expression to his usual blank look and slowly sat back down.

"Ah... Daijoubu." He uttered, almost inaudibly.

"Is something wrong?" Momiji pressed, his blond head leaning forward in curiosity.

"Iie, betsu ni."

Hatsuharu suddenly stood up and went outside the classroom before the Rabbit could further interrogate him. He walked towards no particular direction, his mind full of thoughts.

_I guess Momiji didn't really know what had happened. I requested Tori-nii to not let the others know._

She caught him watching her. He wondered if he should just talk to her. He shook his head. He couldn't even come near her enough without feeling his chest constrict from lack of air.

Being in the same classroom was already torture enough.

He abruptly stopped walking, realizing that he seemed to have wandered off. He looked around and recognized the gymnasium behind him; at least it will not take that long for him to go back...probably. There was still time before class started.

But. . . he suddenly felt like just going home. He would have to be asking for more pain if he were to go back to the classroom. Just the thought of her agitated him, what more her presence. He didn't like what the situation was doing to him. Why is it that the same person that brought him so much happiness is the same person that is bringing him unspeakable pain?

He knew that it wasn't her fault; that things simply had to be this way. It just couldn't be helped. Maybe it was because of her choice that things turned out like this, but he knew she would never intentionally hurt him.

Maybe all of this is part of the curse. He experienced it with Rin before. Happiness for a cursed Sohma is as ephemeral as a bubble.

He went to a nearby tree and sat under its cool shade. He needed to calm down. He looked at how the grass moved against the wind.

_"I like how the leaves dance when the wind blows, don't you?"_

Hatsuharu felt a pang of guilt mixed with pain at that memory.

He wanted to blame someone, anyone. But he couldn't. He couldn't help feeling that what happened was really... all his fault.

He gave an exasperated sigh. All this thinking is giving him a headache. All of his emotions are also starting to surface, emotions he'd repressed for some time. A combined head ache and heart ache is not something he's prepared to endure. Suddenly, even his simple breathing has become too much to bear. If he weren't careful, he might end up turning Black.

To distract himself, he turned his gaze upwards, towards the clouds. The slow-moving clouds gave him a sense of peace, pulling him in...

"Sohma...san...?"

* * *

**Japanese corner:**

Daijoubu? - Are you alright?

Ah... Daijoubu - Yeah (guys usually use it)... I'm alright.

Iie, betsu ni. - roughly, 'No, nothing in particular.'

Torii-nii - How Haru calls Hatori. -Nii is used for older guys (around 20 years old, maybe...). Pretty much means 'big brother'.

**More blabber:**

Okay, this is ah...my very first fan fic. I mean, really... the very first fan fic ever written. So I'm not really sure if it's okay. But my friend Tsu told me to just post it in ffnet (after giving me a kick in the butt :D). Heh... Arigatou. (",)

I posted this some time ago in a Furuba website, but it may already have been buried or something... It's slightly different from the old one. (",)

Anyway, I hope you guys like this. But I'm already warning you... It's almost as if I were possessed when I wrote this... But thank you very much in advance to those who get to read this. (",) Reviews are very much appreciated. ARIGATOU! (",)


	2. Accidental Encounters

**Author's Notes:**

**Present:** (in italics) - Hatsuharu's thoughts; "..." - Dialogue

**Flashback:** "..." (in italics) - Dialogue; (in regular font) - Hatsuharu's thoughts

* * *

"Sohma...san?" Someone called out to him. It was a girl's voice. It broke in hesitation as she attached the honorific to his name. 

Hatsuharu stiffened upon hearing the voice from behind him. He knew that voice. He slowly turned his head towards the source and-

_It's her. . . !_

His eyes widened.

_What is she doing here...?_

He stared, unmoving, observing the changes in her. She still wears her glasses. He didn't mind, she has always looked good in them. But she no longer braids her hair; that is one. It has gotten longer too; it is up to her waist now.

Another breeze came, softly blowing her hair to form gentle waves around her. His face fell, envious of how the wind can get so close to her.

"Anou… Sohma-san? Daijoubu?"

He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. His throat felt so dry all of a sudden. He swallowed as he tried to regain his composure.

Her eyes revealing concern, she slowly knelt beside him.

"Is something wrong, Sohma-san?"

He looked away, aware of their closeness.

_Why is she here? Why did she come? Did she-? M-masaka… How is that even possible?_

When he didn't answer she put his hand on his shoulder.

"Sohma-san?"

He jumped a little and looked straight at her. He probably looked scary because she quickly withdrew her hand and gave a ton of apologies.

"G-Gomen nasai! I didn't mean to intrude! It's just that, I saw you walking out of the classroom, and I figured you might get lost again, so I followed..." Her sentence suddenly trailed off.

He frowned and studied her.

"What did you just say?" He whispered.

She looked at him apologetically. "G-gomen nasai! I don't know how I got the idea that you always get lost. I can't remember..."

She put her hand to her temple, frowning. He saw her right hand tremble as she struggled to remember. Hereached out to hold her shaking hand.

"It's ok. You don't have to worry about it. Don't push yourself too hard."

"A-alright..." When she realized he was holding her hand, she gave a gasp and blushed. She tried to free her hand, but he held on.

"Not just yet, your hand is still trembling."

"Gomen nasai... I don't know why it's trembling, when it's not even that cold outside"

"Don't talk. It's alright."

Silence fell between them. He could observe that she was trying to think of a way to start a conversation. Before she could think of anything, he spoke up and let go of her hand.

"Let's get going. It is nearly time for class." He said as he stood up.

"Oh my! I almost forgot!" She exclaimed, standing abruptly. She looked relieved that the tense situation was gone.

"Shall we go?" He kept his gaze low to avoid looking at her.

"H-hai."

They walked side by side in silence.

_How long has it been since we've walked side by side like this?_

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_Hatsuharu was coping with his break up with Rin. He was still confused as to why she broke up with him. As time passed, he was starting to believe that maybe she really doesn't love him anymore. It pains him to think of such an idea. It's like there is a black hole now where his heart once was, sucking every positive feeling in his body._

_It has been about 2 weeks since he trashed the classroom... or has it been a month...? Two...? He couldn't remember. The days and nights just melt into one hazy dream… or is it a nightmare?_

_He couldn't decide._

_He looked around. It looked like he wandered into an unfamiliar place...again._

_He smiled nonchalantly. It did not really bother him._

_He scanned the area. This place seemed to be the farthest he's wandered off to from his house. Although... judging from his 'track record', he could be wrong._

_But the place really was unfamiliar. He wondered if he would be able to go back before supper._

_Since he had nothing else to do, he explored the place a bit. He hoped it would distract him enough from thinking about Rin._

_It was a fenced area with a huge park inside._

_Correction—a huge, deserted park._

_He walked for about an hour, trying to get to it. Finally, he got inside. He discovered that the entrance was just a little way off to the right of his original position. He guessed he must have just missed it and shrugged it off._

_Tired, he went to look for a nearby bench. After a few minutes, he saw a bench about ten feet away. He started to approach it, and then stopped at something that caught his attention._

_It was a blue marble with traces of silver lines that one of the children must have left. He bent down and examined it, tracing the lines with his thumb._

_"Sohma-san...?" A female voice called out._

_Hatsuharu looked up and saw a girl wearing the same uniform as Tohru._

I guess she's from our school. How did she know my name?

_"Do I know you?" He asked coolly as he stood up._

_The girl blushed as she put her hand over her mouth. "Iie... I... I just see you in school. We're in the same year. I heard that you are Sohma-san from the others-" She stopped abruptly._

_"Oh no! You might think I'm some kind of stalker! G-gomen nasai! It's not like that! I didn't go around asking for your name or anything! It's just that I overheard some girls in my class talking about you after you passed by..." Her face reddened further and looked down. "...Gomen nasai..."_

_"It doesn't matter." He waved his hand dismissively. "So what brings you here?"_

_"I always come here."_

_"You do? Why?"_

_"I pass by here as a shortcut to my house. And I also come and sit at that bench over there." She pointed at the bench where he was heading._

_"Really? Why?"_

_"Sore wa..." She blushed again, clearly embarrassed._

_"It's ok. You don't have to tell me if you don't trust me." He said as he started to walk past her to head to the bench._

_"It's not that...! It's just... I... I come here to watch the trees." She whispered as he passed her._

_He took one more step, then stopped at his tracks. "You what?"_

_"I… I watch the trees…" She repeated—her voice barely audible this time._

_He turned his head towards her and studied her. Brown hair, tied in a single braid down to her shoulders. She was only a few inches smaller than him._

_She turned and looked up at him as well. He saw that she was wearing glasses that framed her dark brown eyes. They stood side by side, studying each other. When their eyes met, she realized that she had been staring and she jumped back a little, blushing profusely._

She seems to be blushing a lot.

_He wondered if it is a habit or if it is just because he's there._

Oh well, it doesn't matter.

_He turned back towards the direction of the bench but didn't move. After a minute he called out to her, "So, are you coming?"_

_He heard her give a little jump. "...Coming?"_

_"Aren't you going to watch the trees today?"_

_"Oh... Right... I am..."_

_He waited for her to sit first. She went past him as she walked towards the bench. She sat down near the end of the bench so that he could also sit._

_As he approached, he noticed how her expression changed from being tense to relaxing to almost being lost in thought._

She looks so serious, almost sad. I wonder if she has a problem.

_He sat down on the other end of the bench and looked at the trees as well, curious at what she liked at that particular spot._

_After a moment of silence, a light wind blew. He was amazed at the motion of the leaves. They looked like ivory pieces from a piano, with the wind acting as the pianist, playing a silent song._

_"I like how the leaves dance when the wind blows, don't you?" She spoke in a voice just above a whisper. She was staring at the trees, her voice trying to be light but it betrays a bit of sadness._

_"Ah... I like it."_

_The sun was setting, framing the trees with red orange hues. He is starting to like the view very much, and wondered how he can come back to this place. He started contemplating and his mind wandered off on different thoughts. The sunset was making him remember things._

_After a few minutes, he turned and saw her staring at him._

_"Is there something wrong?"_

_She gave him a small smile. "I really like the way Sohma-san's eyes look when he is deep in thought."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"I like the way you think differently from other people, how you don't care what other people say or think. I really admire it, and I hope I can be like that someday. And maybe..." Her voice trailed off._

_"Maybe, what?"_

_She stared at the trees again, avoiding his gaze. "I saw the extent of the damage when you practically destroyed your classroom some time ago. There is a rumor that you have a sort of a darker personality. Is it true?"_

_He folded his arms behind his head and leaned back. "You can say that there is a part of me called 'Black Haru'. So you saw it, huh?"_

_"Eh... I did."_

_She glanced at him and then looked at her hands on her lap. "Is it okay... If I ask why? You don't really have to tell me. But it might be good to let out your feelings to a stranger."_

_He extended his arms and stretched. "Let's just say it's related to an important... person."_

_"Sou ka... I guess it's because of a girl, then." She looked at him._

How did she know?

_Seeing his perplexed reaction she chuckled, "So I was right."_

_For the first time, it was his turn to blush._

_He was tricked._

_Or was he?_

_He smiled at her. "Did you just trick me? Or are you just perceptive?"_

_She returned his smile. "Well, maybe a bit of both."_

_A wave of comfortable silence enveloped them as they continued to smile at each other._

_Finally, she spoke up again, looking towards the trees._

_"This. . . 'Black Haru'. . . Maybe I'm wrong. It's just that I heard rumors that it is your split personality. I-I don't think so. I-I think we all have a 'black' side in each of us... I think that what you have is something that all of us have. What is 'black' and what is 'white' after all? I think... how you react, is the same way any of us reacts... when we lose control of our emotions... like when we get angry or when we snap at other people. Your behavior is, in my opinion, part of the nature of humans, but expressed in much stronger way. It's safe to say that you're in that end of the spectrum when people are at the extreme, when they totally lose control."_

_He remained silent, so she continued, "You must have really loved her. If it made you destroy the classroom like that. I think... It's really... noble..."_

_He blinked and raised his eyebrows. To consider trashing a classroom as 'noble' is something that he did not expect to hear from someone who doesn't look like she has a mean bone in her body._

_"You're kind of weird. Do you know that?"_

_She chuckled, "I guess. Sometimes I feel like some of my views are different from most people... But seeing someone like you thinking in also a different way, kind of puts me at ease. Because maybe that means I'm not such a freak after all."_

_"What do you mean by 'a freak'? How can you be a freak? You don't seem like a freak to me at all."_

_"Hearing Sohma-san tell me this, really makes me happy."_

_"What do you mean?_

_"Let's just say, that with the way I grew up, made me believe that I'm a freak."_

_"How did you grow up then?"_

_She glanced at him and then stared out at the sunset. As she spoke, her voice was deeper. She sounded like a different person._

_"People seek knowledge if they feel like it will be beneficial to them. New knowledge is born out of necessity. Unfortunately, my past is not something that you will benefit from."_

She's pretty smart. But I'm not about to back down either.

_"Maybe, maybe not. But don't forget that knowledge can also come from 'wanting to know'. It just depends on how one uses that seemingly useless knowledge to his or her advantage so that it will become beneficial."_

_She chuckled. "You got a point there. I really like how you think, Sohma-san."_

_"Why do I have a feeling you're changing the subject again?"_

_"It's not like that. It's just, after today, I might not be able to go to school anymore. So I just wanted to say that I really admire how you've always carried yourself—the way you could appreciate things that others take for granted. And right now, I'm really happy that you do not consider me a freak after talking to me."_

_"Who would call you a freak? Do people tease you?"_

_"It doesn't really matter. Don't worry about it, Sohma-san."_

_"You seem to know a lot about me. But you won't even give a bit of information about yourself. I can also be persistent, you know."_

_"Gomen nasai, Sohma-san. It might seem unfair to you. It's just that you are quite popular with the girls. I sometimes overhear their conversation. And, well, I also observe you, too-" She stopped abruptly and blushed when she saw him raise an eyebrow._

_She continued, looking at her lap. "...S-sometimes. But, even when the girls like you, you don't seem to pay much attention to them."_

_She suddenly stood up. "Tell you what. To thank you for being with me today, and for being patient, you can ask... five questions about me."_

_"Five questions?"_

_"Un..."_

_"Okay... If you're sure..."_

_She laughed. "Don't be so serious. My life is not that intriguing."_

_"Really? The way you're behaving now happens to intrigue me."_

_Her eyes widened, and he saw her blush and look down. He continued, "Okay then, I'll start, but sit down for a minute."_

_"I can't. I have to get home."_

_"If you want I'll walk you home."_

_"Eh? Are you sure?"_

_He stood up and stretched. "Sure, why not?" He started walking when suddenly—_

_"Sohma-san? You're going in the wrong direction..."_

_"Oh?" He looked around and saw that she was going on the opposite direction._

_"Anou... Are you sure that you'll be ok?"_

_"Don't worry about it. I just get a bit lost sometimes." He said with a shrug._

_She looked worried, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the same direction she was going._

_"I already told you, it's alright. Let's just go, ok?"_

_After a few minutes they reached the road which she said would lead to her house. As they walked he realized that he still hasn't let go of her hand and was still pulling her._

_He looked at her and saw that she was looking down, her face beet red. Sensing her discomfort he stopped walking and slowly let go of her hand. She just let it drop to her side._

_She just stood there, not speaking. He wondered if he should apologize._

_"Anou, gomen-" He started._

_Suddenly, she inhaled deeply, looked up at him and said, "Shall we go?"_

_He wasn't able to react. She sure can be quick in shifting her emotions._

_She smiled at him, "If you have a tendency to get lost, maybe I should leave markers for you to follow. That way, you can come back to the park."_

_"You don't have to. I'm used to getting lost. It's not a big deal."_

_"Please? I'll feel better knowing you didn't get too lost."_

_"...Alright." Hatsuharu sighed inwardly. She looked so worried that he finally gave in._

_She beamed at him and clapped her hands. Then she took a ball of yellow thread from her bag._

_"It's a good thing I felt that I should bring my knitting thread with me. Here, I'll tie some of the thread around the posts that we pass by, especially the intersections. The direction the knot is facing is where we came from, ok?"_

_"Ah..." He frowned._

Is it just me, or is she treating me like a kid...? Well, I'm not a kid... And I'm not stupid... 'Stupid'. I hate that word! I-

_"Sohma-san? Doshitano?" A worried voice interrupted his thoughts._

_He realized that he almost turned Black over such a silly thing._

_"Iie. Betsu ni."_

_"Gomen nasai… I didn't mean to make you feel stupid."_

How did she know that? Oh no, she's crying...

_He felt really bad for almost turning Black over something so trivial. She was only worried, after all. He reached out and wiped the tears from her face. He placed his hand on her head to make her feel better. It seemed to have worked, because she suddenly stopped crying and looked at him._

_"Don't cry anymore, okay? You didn't do anything wrong."_

_She sniffled. "H-hontou ni?"_

_He gave a reassuring smile. "Ah."_

_"Yokatta..." She placed both her hands on her chest and gave a sigh of relief._

_"Let's go." He said, offering his hand._

_She looked confused at first. When she realized what he wanted her to do she turned scarlet. Her eyes darted back and forth, first on the ground and then back his hand, not knowing if she should take it or not. But he didn't put his hand down, so she shyly took it and they made their way._

_Every now and then they would stop, either to let him look at something that interested him, or for her to place a marker._

_She also put a marker on the areas that he took interest to, just in case he didn't notice the other markers. All this time he would hold her hand again, as if trying to make her feel at ease._

_"Sohma-san?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"Arigatou. I don't know how to thank you enough."_

_"Call me Haru."_

_"H-hai... Haru-san..."_

_During their walk Hatsuharu was able to ask her three questions. She answered all of them, although her answers were usually concise. She did let him ask some minor questions when he didn't understand her answer though, which is good, because many times she would speak in a kind of riddle._

_So far, what he gathered was that she has been taking care of herself since she could remember, and that she wasn't able to go out of their house until she was about 7 years old (she didn't say why). She said that that childhood experience made her more reliant on herself and that she spent most of her time alone, but she didn't really feel lonely. She said that this kind of life also triggered something in her._

_"What do you mean? What happened?" He asked._

_"Is that your fourth question?" She asked in her deep voice again. That voice seemed to come from far away. Hatsuharu noticed that when she talked about her past she sounded like a different person._

_He nodded, and she answered, "I... have a tendency to sense things. Sometimes I sense the future, sometimes the past. I don't 'see' it, but I can sense it. Maybe it's a kind of protection, since I'm usually alone."_

_"So, you're a psychic?"_

_"Not really. Not like in the movies. It's hard to explain. Besides, it doesn't always happen. I can go for a whole month without getting anything."_

_"Can you sense anything now?"_

_"...Hai. That I have to be home. I can feel that something bad is going to happen at home..."_

_He was startled. He stopped and stared at her. "What do you mean?"_

_"Something bad is going to happen to my father... And my mother... And I will be part of it..."_

_"Part of what?"_

_"It doesn't concern you."_

_"If you know something bad is going to happen why don't you do something to stop it?"_

_"Is that your fifth question?" She asked calmly. Her calmness is unnerving._

_"No, it is not. But answer me anyway."_

_"...I've tried to stop it so many times... But they always happen. Once I get that feeling, it is inevitable..."_

_Hatsuharu couldn't react to that. He stood there, staring at her. She gave him a little smile of assurance before she let go of his hand and walked a few steps ahead of him. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around._

_That was when he noticed that they were at a railroad crossing. She walked a bit past him so that they would be at the opposite sides of the track. The barrier is closing, warning people of an oncoming train._

_"Gomen ne, Haru-san. I have troubled you... Please don't worry about me. I really enjoyed our time together. It's an honor to have talked to you." She bowed low._

_"M-matte..." He called out._

_They were separated by the barrier. He had half the mind to jump and take her with him, but he saw her shake her head._

_"Dame yo, Haru-san. The train is coming any second now."_

_She took something from her bag and threw it across the tracks. He caught it. It was a seashell. Just then the train came. He couldn't get across. When the train had passed she was gone.  
_

* * *

**Japanese section:**

Anou - Roughly parallel to "umm..." or maybe even "hey..."

Masaka - "No way." or "It couldn't be."

Gomen nasai/Gomen ne - "I'm sorry."

Hai - "Yes."

Iie - "No."

Sore wa - "That is..." - sometimes I hear the anime characters say that when they are hesitating to say something.

Eh - it could mean "Yes." or "What?" / "Huh?" depending on context. I usually hear girls use this.

Sou ka - "I see."

Un - "Yes."

Doshitano - "What's wrong?"

Hontou ni - "Really?"

Yokatta - Roughly "That's great." or "I'm glad."

Arigatou - "Thank you."

Matte - "Wait."

Dame yo - "No." or "Don't do it." It has a different tone from plain 'Iie'.

Sohma-san and Haru-san - In the anime I've watched, the characters usually call each other by their surnames first if they don't know each other that much or are not that close with each other. If they start to call each other by their first names, they already have a degree of closeness. That closeness is also seen by the honorific attached. )

**Author's Blabber:**

Maa... I'm sorry if I only posted one chapter. I still haven't finished editing the rest. As I've said before, it's my first fan fic, so I'm trying to 'clean out' any bad grammar. --;; I guess I'm also changing some of the 'wordings' that I'm not comfortable with. (",) Maa... Gomen nasai.

And, I would like to say thanks to those who took the time to read and review this. (and to Numbah Wierdo-san, again, truly sorry...)


	3. A Helping Hand

**Author's Notes:**

It's been awhile, hasn't it? Really sorry about that... --;;

Anyway, here's another post. Hope you guys like it. (",) Thank you in advance for reading it. Oh, and I would like to dedicate this to Numbah Wierdo-san and to Reiko-san. Thank you for reading and reviewing this story. (",) I'm glad you guys liked it. (",)

* * *

They went up the stairs in silence. Hatsuharu looked at her and saw that she was doing her habit of counting the number of steps again. He chuckled. 

_I guess she hasn't really changed much._

She looked at him and realized that he knew what she was doing. She suddenly stopped and missed a half-step, making her trip. He was quick and caught her arm before she fell onto the stairs face first.

"Daijoubu?" He asked earnestly.

"E-eh…" She said.

He saw her cheeks go red.

_She's getting embarrassed again._

He sighed. He let her go and they continued up the stairs.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_The next day, Hatsuharu tried to look for the mysterious girl in school, but he couldn't find her. He didn't see a sign of her during the succeeding two days either. He wondered if what she told him about no longer being able to go to school became true. That thought only made him worry some more, and he felt an uncontrollable urge to find her._

Something... Something's wrong...

_After school, he went back to the park where they first met. But it took him until the next day before he found it. He missed school, but he didn't care._

_Once inside, he searched for her. Fortunately, she was there. He found her not on her usual bench, but on a nearby swing. She had her gaze down on the ground, her face slightly slanted downward. As he neared her, he noticed that she looked paler than the last time he saw her, but she wasn't crying._

_When she looked up and saw him, she abruptly stood up and looked like she was going to run away, but he was quick to get behind her._

_He grabbed her arms to stop her while still not near enough for him to transform._

_"Sohma-san, please let me go." She said as she struggled to be free of his grasp._

_But his grip was strong. He didn't hurt her, but he kept her from freeing herself._

_"I told you it's 'Haru'."_

_She finally stopped struggling and let her hands limp to her sides. "...Haru-san, please let me go. I can't face you..."_

_"Why not?"_

_"You know, don't you?" She replied quietly._

_"Know what?"_

_"...You...don't...?" She slowly turned her head towards him. He let her go so she can face him._

_He shook his head. "No... But I can tell that something bad must have happened, if you were willing to run away from me like that."_

_She bowed her head. "Gomen nasai... Haru-san... But I just can't face you. You shouldn't talk to me anymore."_

_"Why?"_

_Silence._

_"You don't want to tell me?"_

_Silence._

_"...Alright then..." He let her go. "But you said it yourself, it might be good to let out your feelings to a 'stranger'. You might consider me as one, since I didn't know what happened to you, and therefore I am just a stranger. A stranger to your circumstances."_

_Before she could reply, he added._

_"I was really worried about you."_

_She looked up at him and frowned. "...You were...? You don't even know who I am..."_

_"What do you mean I don't know you? We spent a whole afternoon together." He replied and smiled at her._

_It was contagious. She smiled a little too._

_After a moment of silence, he asked again. "Well? Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"_

_She hung her head before she replied. "...My parents...They are dead."_

_He blinked. "Huh...?"_

_She turned her head to the side and shrugged. "My mother killed my father. Then she killed herself."_

_Silence._

_"...But...Why?"_

_"She was trying to protect me. Father was going to beat me up because I didn't want to use my abilities for him... Because I didn't want to anymore..."_

_He couldn't reply. He didn't know what to say._

_"It... It probably would have been easier if I had just done what he told me to do... And maybe... maybe they would still be alive today... Demo... Demo... I... didn't want to anymore..." Her voice trailed off. He noticed that her hands were trembling. He wanted to try to comfort her, but as he was about to hold her hand, he remembered the curse._

If I get too close, I might transform...

_She suddenly looked at him, and, with a frown, asked, "'Transform'...? What does that mean, Haru-san...? Do you transform...?"_

_He took a step back and stared at her._ What? How-?

_He saw her eyes widen, probably realizing that she had sensed his thoughts. She immediately shook her head and placed her hands on her ears, as if trying to block unwanted sounds. "G-gomen nasai! Gomen nasai, Haru-san! I didn't mean to! Gomen nasai!"_

_"No... It-it's alright..."_ I think...

_She shook her head harder. "No...! It's not! Gomen nasai, Haru-san!" She buried her face in her hands and kept apologizing, her apologies muffled by her hands. He could only watch helplessly as he saw her apologize continuously._

_"Gomen nasai... Haru-san...!" She said. "I didn't mean to... It just came to me... Gomen-!"_

_**POOF!**_

_"H-Haru...san...?"_

_He didn't reply. He wasn't sure how she would react. As the air cleared from the smoke, which temporarily obstructed her view of him, he warily watched her..._

_How would she react to this...?_

_"W-Why...?" Was all she was able to stammer. It wasn't the immediate reaction he would have normally expected from anybody._

_It took him awhile before he replied. "I wanted to comfort you... to tell you it's okay... even for the briefest of seconds."_

_And it was the truth._

_For what seemed a long time to him, she didn't speak nor move. She just stared at him, with her mouth slightly open. He sighed inwardly and, although dreading the answer, he asked,_

_"Are you scared of me? Do you find me disgusting...? That I change into an animal?"_

_She didn't reply. He saw her extend her hand to touch the side of his head. "Real..." He heard her whisper._

_What he saw next was completely unexpected._

_A smile._

_He didn't expect her to smile, but it was an excited smile._

_She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and shouted, "Kawaiiiii…! Haru-san is so cute!" She gave a burst of giggles._

I feel like a stuffed toy. _He thought with a sweat drop._

_"D-daijoubu, Haru-san... Your secret is safe with me." She whispered._

_She let him go and was about to pat his head when he transformed back. He saw her turn red and wave her arms in alarm, knocking her own glasses off of her face._

_"G-gomen nasai! I didn't know that you'll be naked!" She cried as she turned and looked the opposite way, burying her face in her hands. Her reaction almost made him laugh while he put his clothes back on._

_He picked up her glasses and tapped her on her shoulder. "I'm dressed now."_

_She slowly brought her face up to look at him. That was when he noticed a scar just below her right eye. Funny, he didn't notice that when they first met._

_Seeing that he is indeed fully clothed, he saw her give a sigh of relief. As she took her glasses from him, he noticed that the scar became hidden when she put her glasses back on._

I guess that explains it.

_She smiled at him before speaking. "Haru-san... Arigatou... For doing that... I feel much better now..."_

_He liked her smile like that. It made him feel like smiling too. He wanted to protect that smile._

_"You're welcome."_

_

* * *

_

**Japanese corner:**

Daijoubu - Don't worry/It's alright/Are you alright? (depending on the sentence and context)

Kawaii - Cute


End file.
